AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Dr. Betty Edwards regarding legislative appropriations for Alamo improvements and an update on the pending lawsuit filed against the General Land Office:

"We are pleased the legislature is moving forward with this level of funding for our State's most revered landmark.

"For more than 100 years the Daughters of the Republic of Texas managed the Alamo without state funding or charging admission, using visitor donations and other private sources to maintain what is now recognized as a World Heritage Site along with the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China and the Statue of Liberty.

"We support the improvements to the site and grounds this unprecedented state funding will provide but encourage caution in avoiding over-commercialization and politicizing of the Shrine in order to maintain the reverence and respect that are due its defenders and in accordance with the expectations of the people of Texas."

DRT Library Lawsuit Update (attributable to Dr. Betty Edwards)

"A hearing was set September 4, 2015 following up the Bexar County judge's August 24, 2015 temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and George P. Bush in his capacity as Commissioner of the GLO. 

"The TRO was entered in response to actions by the GLO and the new Alamo management company for locking out DRT Library employees that morning from the building on the Alamo grounds housing the DRT Library collection. 

"Today, the hearing was reset for Thursday, September 17, 2015 at 9:00 a.m., in the Presiding District Court, Room 109, Bexar County Courthouse.

"Additionally, when the DRT Library Director and their legal counsel entered the library building shortly after the judge ordered the GLO provide access and new keys to the DRT Library employees, they walked in on IT contractors in the middle of downloading onto external hard drives information and potentially copyrighted material from three DRT computers owned and used by the DRT Library staff.  The IT contractors stated at the time they were directed to do so by the Alamo Director.

"The Daughters take these matters very seriously and have retained a computer forensic expert to determine more about the GLO-sanctioned breach of the password-protected computers and what if any data was removed. Once the facts are known we will decide if civil or criminal proceedings are warranted."

 

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/statement-by-betty-edwards-md-president-general-of-the-daughters-of-the-republic-of-texas-on-legislative-appropriations-for-alamo-improvements-300137225.html

SOURCE Daughters of the Republic of Texas

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